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[dc-earth53]

Hey! I stumbled upon this project a few weeks ago, but I am asking only now: How did you do the Justice Society of America in version 1.0? Were the OG members still World War II veterans and how did their legacy tie into the modern day?

The JSA's transition from WWII to the modern day is something that grows more difficult with every year that passes, as it really strains credulity that characters like Al Pratt, Charles McNider, and Wesley Dodds could even live until the Crisis. I don't remember exactly what I did, but if I recall, I moved the Ragnarok story from "Last Days of the Justice Society" to happen earlier in the timeline.

Instead of it happening after the Crisis, it happens in the 1950s - the Spectre bringing the JSA out of retirement for one last mission to save the world - from which they only emerge, unchanged, a few years before Superman arrives on the scene.

That solution isn't perfect, though, and still causes problems with Infinity Inc. and various Injustice Society members that I never solved. But as far as the JSA legacies go, all of the newer JSA members from pre-Flashpoint were around and more or less unchanged. (With the exception of surgically removing the Stargirl/Atom Smasher stuff because seriously, Geoff, why did you think repeating Kitty/Colossus with a character based on your late sister was a good idea?)

[dc-earth53]

Hiya, Newcomer to your timeline, do you have a full roster for the Teen Titans/Young Justice? and if so, who's on it?

Hey! This project's on hold for the moment, maybe I'll get back to it eventually. Ignore all the old character profiles on the blog, those were for version 1.0 of the project, most of the written fic's for version 2.0 (and was kind of created in spite against another project that's also now long dormant).

But the BIG storyline I had in mind was very Titans-centric, with several separate Titans/Young Justice teams operating and joining together to fight the big bad - HIVE, and their metahuman trafficking operations. This would all be set in the pre-Flashpoint timeline, after Brightest Day but with some small changes.

The rosters I had in mind were something like this:

Titans: - Arsenal - Cyborg - Bumblebee - Tempest - Dolphin - Donna Troy Teen Titans: - Changeling - Raven - Solstice - Bunker - Red Devil - Aqualad (Kaldur'ahm) - Ravager

Young Justice: - Supernova (Conner Kent) - Mercury (Bart Allen) - Olympia (Cassie Sandsmark) - Red Robin - Miss Martian - Secret The Outlaws: - Red Arrow (Roy Harper, cloned from DNA taken during his mission with the Suicide Squad) - Wind Dragon (Asami Koizumi) - Longshadow (Tye Longshadow) - Downpour and Shifter (Zan and Jayna)

Nightwing's team: - Nightwing - Starfire - Argent - Hot Spot

[dc-earth53]

Billy Batson/Captain Marvel/Shazam exists on this earth?

Yep! He's currently depowered, but that'll be taken care of when my Power of Shazam WIP gets into a finished state... eventually. I have too many WIPs, help.

[dc-earth53]

An alien princess and a guy like him? They said it would never work out. Now Nightwing and Starfire are the happily married defenders of the Windy City, with little Mar'i in tow. But will their family survive when an old, forgotten enemy comes knocking at their doorstep?

[dc-earth53]

Don't call it a comeback... because it's not, it's a reboot. Surprise!

Welcome to Earth-53, for real this time. Instead of a fully reimagined DCU, I've elected to go with a continuation of the post-Crisis timeline, with some streamlined elements here and there. And we're kicking it off with one of the characters canon has done the dirtiest, Roy Harper.

SOLICIT:

ROY HARPER has a new outlook on life, a new prosthetic arm, and no immediate plans beyond being a single dad. But when mercenaries come for both CERDIAN and his darling LIAN, he joins forces with his fellow TITANS to get them back. How deep does their trail lead, and will he learn the deadly secret that will change his and Lian's lives forever?

[dc-earth53]

#0022 - Count Vertigo (Werner Vertigo)

Age: 47

Occupation: Criminal, exiled nobility.

Marital status: Single.

Known relatives: Queen Perdita (niece), King Antoni (brother-in-law, deceased), Queen Felicja (sister, deceased).

Group affiliation: Formerly Checkmate, Suicide Squad, Secret Society of Super-Villains, Injustice Society.

Base of operations: Mobile, formerly Vlatava, Belle Reve Penitentiary.

Height: 5′11″

Weight: 189 lbs.

History:

47 years ago: Werner Vertigo is born to nobility in the small Eastern European country of Vlatava.

45 years ago: Vertigo manifests a hereditary inner ear defect that affects his balance. To compensate, he is given an implant in his temple to correct the problem.

41 years ago: Werner’s younger sister, Felicja, is born. 

23 years ago: Felicja is married to the king of Vlatava, Antoni, making Werner heir to the throne if both pass away. 

14 years ago: 

Felicja and Antoni have a daughter, Perdita - the new heir to Vlatava’s throne. Vertigo attempts regicide and is exiled, secretly finding asylum in America.

While tinkering with his implant, Vertigo finds that he has the ability to cause vertigo in other individuals as well. He uses this newfound power to attempt to steal back Vlatavan treasures from a museum in Star City, and is foiled by Green Arrow and Black Canary. 

Vlatava waives Vertigo’s diplomatic immunity, and he is sentenced to Belle Reve Penitentiary.

10 years ago: Vertigo is recruited by Amanda Waller for her Suicide Squad, performing dangerous missions in exchange for a shortened prison sentence. While on one such mission, he is captured by Vlatavan rebels and allies himself with them to overthrow the king and queen, only to be stopped by the Squad.

9 years ago: Vertigo is released from Belle Reve and returns to Vlatava, allying himself with the rebel faction once more. Together, they manage to storm the palace, murdering Queen Felicja. Vertigo is taken in by the Justice League International and tried by the World Court, but escapes before sentencing can occur. Vlatava reforms into a constitutional monarchy, with the royalty having less power.

7 years ago: Johnny Sorrow recruits Vertigo into his new Injustice Society, promising him revenge on Black Canary for his early defeats. He is defeated once more by Black Canary and the new Dr. Mid-Nite.

5 years ago: Vertigo joins Lex Luthor’s Secret Society, joining the army that lays siege to Metropolis.

4 years ago: King Antoni passes away of cancer, and Perdita becomes queen at age ten. When on a visit to Star City, Vertigo and a group of hired assassins attempt to kill Perdita, only to be stopped by Green Arrow and Black Canary.

3 years ago: Amanda Waller recruits Vertigo as one of her agents at Checkmate, once more becoming part of her personal black ops team.

1 year ago: Vertigo goes toe to toe with Sonar when Checkmate intervenes in the war between Vlatava and neighboring Modora. Unsurprisingly, he turns on Checkmate and Vlatava, using his power on Perdita and causing her heart to begin failing. Intervention by the Flash saves the young queen’s life, and Vertigo is placed back behind bars.

Commentary:

Count Vertigo is one of my favorite mid-tier DC villains, not only for his unique powers and distinctive appearance but also for his backstory, especially as he appears in the Showcase: Green Arrow short film and Young Justice animated series. While taking inspiration from the comics, this version of Vertigo is more largely inspired by his animated counterparts.

This Vertigo is a scorned former noble, stripped of his titles after attempted regicide and looking for any opportunity to seize the throne of Vlatava and become the strong ruler he thinks the country deserves. By that token, he takes any opportunity to attack the current Vlatavan government, all while maintaining a noble air about himself. 

To that effect, he eschews any sort of costume, despite how much I love the original, Steve Ditko-inspired cape he wears in the comics. Instead, he dresses like a member of the aristocracy, wearing finery in various shades of green as is his trademark.

Next up: The Ray I and II, Ultra-Humanite, and Cosmic Boy!

[dc-earth53]

#0021 - Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance)

Age: 39

Occupation: Adventurer, florist, former rock singer

Marital status: Married

Known relatives: Larry Lance (father, deceased), Laurel Drake Lance (mother, deceased), Richard Drake (grandfather, deceased), Oliver Queen (husband), Cynthia Lance (adoptive daughter).

Group affiliation: Justice League of America, Birds of Prey, formerly Justice Society of America.

Base of operations: Star City, California

Height: 5’4”

Weight: 124 lbs.

History:

39 years ago: Dinah is born in Gotham City to Laurel and Larry Lance.

26 years ago: 13-year-old Dinah meets champion boxer Ted Grant when she signs up for self-defense classes at a local gym. She soon becomes Grant’s star pupil.

24 years ago: Larry Lance dies in the line of duty, and Laurel forbids her daughter from following in his footsteps.

23 years ago: Dinah meets young Zatanna Zatara while on a trip to the Himalayas.

21 years ago: In defiance of her parents, 18-year-old Dinah leaves home and forms the punk band Ashes on Sunday with a few of her high school friends, taking the stage name “Black Canary.”

20 years ago: Dinah’s metagene activates in the middle of a concert, releasing her deafening ‘Canary Cry.’ Following in her mother’s footsteps, she begins to use her newfound powers to fight crime, while still touring with Ashes on Sunday.

18 years ago: Realizing her true calling, Dinah leaves Ashes on Sunday and joins the fledgling Justice League of America, meeting and soon falling in love with Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow.

16 years ago: Dinah and Oliver leave the Justice League, and along with Hal Jordan, travel across the United States. Dinah tries to help Roy Harper with his drug addiction.

14 years ago: Laurel Lance dies of cancer, and Dinah returns home to tend to the family flower shop.

11 years ago: Dinah becomes a founding member of the UN-backed Justice League International.

10 years ago: Dinah moves to Star City with Oliver and establishes a flower shop there, called “Sherwood Florist.” Dinah is captured and tortured by a drug dealer, resulting in the loss of her Canary Cry and rendering her infertile.

8 years ago: 

Dinah and Oliver break up after she catches him kissing their assistant, and Dinah moves back to Gotham, joining Oracle’s covert team, the Birds of Prey. 

While on a mission for Oracle, Dinah takes a dip in one of R’as al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits, restoring her Canary Cry.

7 years ago: Dinah helps found a new incarnation of Justice Society of America alongside Ted Grant, following the passing of former Sandman Wesley Dodds.

6 years ago: Dinah leaves the Justice Society upon receiving news of Oliver’s resurrection, and briefly reunites with him before returning to Gotham.

5 years ago: Dinah trades lives with Lady Shiva, moving to Vietnam and meeting a young girl there named Sin, who was being groomed to be the next Lady Shiva. Dinah adopts the girl and returns to America.

4 years ago: 

Dinah rejoins the newly reformed Justice League and is voted as their chairwoman.

Sin is abducted by Merlyn, and Oliver and Dinah team up to rescue her. Oliver fakes the child’s death to keep her safe, and afterwards, Dinah finally agrees to marry him.

3 years ago: As part of a scheme by Darkseid, Oliver is replaced with the shapeshifter Everyman, who tries to assassinate Dinah on her wedding night. Dinah kills Everyman with an arrow to the neck, and then Dinah and Oliver get married in earnest.

2 years ago: Dinah and the Justice League come into a reluctant partnership with the Authority when Prometheus attempts to destroy Star City.

Present day: Dinah investigates Oliver’s seeming suicide, which was actually an attempted assassination by Shado.

Editorial Notes:

There’s a lot to sort out with Dinah - from her origins as a Golden Age legacy character (almost by accident, the retcons needed to get her there were very messy), to her complicated relationship with Green Arrow, to integrating her New 52 appearances into the timeline somehow. What I’ve done is taken the bare bones of her DCYou solo series and placed it as a phase of young adult rebellion, while otherwise mostly preserving her timeline. All the major events you’d expect in Dinah’s life are here, although there are a few things I couldn’t include due to timeline constraints.

I had toyed with the idea of making Dinah a transgender woman, as it is implied that her DC Bombshells counterpart is, but that obviously doesn’t work with the plot point of her and Oliver trying for a child before she loses her fertility, and I also like the surrogate father/daughter relationship between teen Dinah and Wildcat too much to let that go. I may revisit the idea at some point, however.

The other idea that I didn’t have space for was making her a therapist, as seen in the Young Justice cartoon. The timeline just couldn’t support it, unfortunately, although, again, I may revisit that idea down the line.

Costume-wise, she’s got the Rebirth look going for her. It’s a nice modernization of the classic swimsuit and fishnets, and fits well with her punk rock roots. However, she still definitely wore her hideous 1980s look with the headband at some point, because it’s one of those costumes that’s just too terrible to ignore.

If you have a question or comment, asks are open! Next: Count Vertigo, the Ray I and II, and the Ultra-Humanite.

[dc-earth53]

#0020: Scandal Savage

Age: 58

Occupation: Criminal, mercenary.

Marital status: Married.

Known relatives: Vandal Savage (father), Débora Ventura (mother), Olympia Savage (half-sister), Cassandra Savage (half-sister), Grendel (half-brother), Nabu (half-brother), Liana Kerzner (wife), Knockout (wife), Devon Kerzner (son).

Group affiliation: Formerly Secret Six.

Base of operations: House of Secrets, Vermont.

Height: 5′9″.

Weight: 160 lbs.

History:

58 years ago: The immortal Vandal Savage fathers a daughter with Brazilian Débora Ventura. The child, named Scandal, is raised by Ventura but trained to fight by Savage, and possesses some of his metahuman abilities.

49 years ago: On her ninth birthday, Scandal is forced by her father to murder her mother. She grows to resent him, and by proxy most men.

40 years ago: Scandal flees Brazil, deciding to lay low and go into business, taking mercenary jobs while she gets a foothold in the business world.

23 years ago: Scandal commissions the Laminas Pesar - a set of wrist-mounted blades - from a blacksmith in Italy. These become her signature weapon.

5 years ago: 

Scandal is recruited into Lex Luthor’s Secret Society, but is contacted by a person calling themselves Mockingbird and, along with five others, convinced to betray the Society. 

While fighting against the Secret Society, Scandal falls in love with the former Female Fury Knockout. Mockingbird reveals themselves to be Ra’s al Ghul, and the Six escape from the Society.

4 years ago: 

After a conflict with the Birds of Prey, Knockout is murdered by an unknown assailant. A drunk and distraught Scandal is kidnapped on orders from Amanda Waller, who becomes the Six’s new Mockingbird, much to Scandal’s annoyance.

Scandal meets stripper Liana Kerzner, and the two begin a relationship.

3 years ago: 

After teaming up during the Blackest Night, the Secret Six and Waller’s Task Force X go their separate ways.  

The Six retrieve Knockout from Hell using a “Get Out of Hell Free” card, and Scandal proposes marriage to both Knockout and Liana. They both accept.

 2 years ago: The Six disband after a plan of theirs to assault Batman’s friends and family goes awry, and they are cornered by an army of superheroes. Scandal and her lovers escape, settling down in rural Oklahoma.

1 year ago: Liana and Knockout are kidnapped, and Scandal goes on a mission to rescue them, running afoul of Catman and his new Secret Six. Scandal asks Catman if he’d be the sperm donor for her family’s child.

Present day: Scandal assaults her father when he shows up for her son’s birth, saying she wants him to have no part in any of their lives.

Commentary:

I recently finished Gail Simone’s run on Secret Six, and by Grodd, what a bunch of magnificent bastards. I love them all so much and hate them all so much at the same time, Scandal included.

I’m not sure why it took DC so long to give the immortal Vandal Savage children, but it’s one of those things that makes perfect sense as an addition to the canon. Unfortunately for Papa Savage, Scandal wants absolutely nothing to with him, and (being that she’s exclusively interested in women) absolutely doesn’t want to bear him an heir. In fact, the only men she’s remotely close to are her reluctant surrogate father Bane, and her other Secret Six teammates Catman, Deadshot, and Ragdoll.

This Scandal has gone through a lot of pain in her life, but for now is happily married to two beautiful redheads, and has a newborn son to take care of. But people’s histories have a way of catching up with them, and it won’t be all sunshine and roses for Scandal forever. She isn’t immortal, but will probably far outlive her wives and child, and her father isn’t quite finished with her yet, not to mention the ever-growing list of enemies the Secret Six has acquired who might be out for blood.

Scandal isn’t really the type to be running around in a bright costume, and wears black tactical clothing fairly often on missions, but there’s one look she sort of keeps coming back to - the black crop top and pants with combat boots and a mask covering the lower half of her face. I wouldn’t call it iconic, but it clearly communicates the no-nonsense, scary character that she is. 

Next up: Black Canary, then Count Vertigo.

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#0019 - Plastic Man (Patrick “Eel” O’Brian)

Age: 101

Occupation: Adventurer, former thief

Marital status: Divorced

Known relatives: Angel McDunnagh (ex-wife), Luke O’Brian (son).

Group affiliation: Justice League of America, Terrifics, formerly All-Star Squadron, Freedom Fighters.

Base of operations: Mammoth City, New Jersey

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 178 lbs.

History:

1919 A.D: Patrick O’Brian is born.

1935 A.D: During the Great Depression, abandoned by his abusive father, O’Brian falls into a life of crime.

1941 A.D: 

O’Brian is shot by a security guard at a chemical plant while on a heist, and falls into a drum of acid. He’s rescued and nursed to health by a group of monks, and finds he’s gained elastic powers. Seizing a second chance at life, O’Brian, now calling himself Plastic Man, turns over a new leaf.

Plastic Man befriends Wolfgang “Woozy” Winks, who joins him as a sidekick.

At the request of President Roosevelt, Plastic Man joins the All-Star Squadron, later becoming a member of the Freedom Fighters as well.

1951 A.D: After the war, Plastic Man chooses to retire rather than unmask, alongside many of America’s other mystery men. He begins working undercover for the FBI during the Cold War.

25 years ago: O’Brian meets Angel McDunnagh, and the two fall in love, although their relationship is strained by O’Brian’s commitment issues.

21 years ago: O’Brian and Angel father a son, Luke, whom O’Brian abandons after he and Angel divorce.

18 years ago: With the dawn of the new age of heroes, Plastic Man comes out of retirement, helping Batman in a case involving the Kite Man gang and aiding the Justice League against the Shaggy Man.

17 years ago: During a fight against Felix Faust, Plastic Man is subjected to extreme heat and forced into stasis, assuming the shape of an egg to regenerate. He is stored in a secure vault within the Batcave until he is ready to awaken.

11 years ago: Batman wakes the dormant Plastic Man to aid the heroes of Earth against the Anti-Monitor. Afterwards, O’Brian moves to New York to get a new lease on life, opening a detective agency there alongside Woozy Winks’ grandson.

8 years ago: Plastic Man is invited by Batman to join the Justice League, an offer he enthusiastically accepts. He remains with the team through numerous adventures, including the fight against Mageddon and Ra’s al Ghul’s “Tower of Babel” scheme. 

6 years ago: 

After the Justice League travels back in time to ancient Atlantis, Plastic Man is frozen and shattered by the sorceress Gamemnae’s magic. Over the next thousands of years, he reconstitutes himself on the seafloor, emerging with a new outlook on life and reconnecting with Luke.. 

Plastic Man proves instrumental in defeating Fernus, J’onn J’onzz transformed into a rampaging Burning Martian.

4 years ago: Plastic Man joins the restructured Justice League, fighting against Doctor Sivana, Starbreaker, and the Injustice Gang.

2 years ago: When Prometheus attempts to destroy Star City, Plastic Man is one of the Leaguers present to oppose him. Prometheus injects him with a serum that leaves him unable to hold his shape, forcing him into retirement once more.

1 year ago: Mr. Terrific administers a serum to Plastic Man that cures him, and recruits him into his new team of explorers, the Terrifics, setting off into the Anti-Matter universe.

Present day: Plastic Man continues to explore the edges of known reality with the Terrifics, Luke now accompanying him.

Commentary:

Plastic Man is an interesting character in DC history: acquired with the rest of the Quality Comics stable during the Silver Age, he nevertheless didn’t appear often during that period, not even with the Freedom Fighters. In fact, Elongated Man was created specifically because DC wanted to use Plastic Man but weren’t sure if they owned the character - by the time they got that sorted out, Elongated Man was already an established character, leaving Plas to rare appearances in Dial H For Hero and other scattered titles. It wouldn’t be until Grant Morrison brought him back for JLA that he really came into his own in the DCU.

To reflect his long absences, as well as serving as a rare nod to Dark Nights: Metal (don’t get used to it, there’s no Dark Multiverse here), this Plastic Man, despite his long career, spends a fair amount of time in stasis, recovering from his weakness to extreme temperatures. He’s functionally immortal thanks to the chemicals that gave him his power, however, and can come back from nearly anything given enough time.

One would think such a long lifespan would allow for deep thought and introspection and wisdom, but there’s little of that on the surface for Plas. Instead, his peculiar sense of offbeat humor is preserved, even as he slowly becomes a better person, rebuilding bridges with his son and trying to live up to Batman’s oddly lofty opinion of him.

Plastic Man is another of those characters who’s only really had one look, although Gail Simone’s recent series tried giving him black trunks... it didn’t really work. So the red unitard with laces in the front stays, at least when he’s not wearing a black-and-white Terrifics uniform.

[dc-earth53]

#0018: Amazo

Age: 19

Occupation: Criminal.

Marital status: Single.

Known relatives: Professor Anthony Ivo (creator), Frank Halloran (cyborg offspring).

Group affiliation: Secret Society of Super-Villains.

Base of operations: Mobile.

Height: 8′0″.

Weight: 425 lbs.

History: 

19 years ago: Amazo is created by Professor Anthony Ivo to steal the Justice League’s powers and use them against them. He is defeated by the League and stored within their trophy room.

15 years ago: After years lying dormant, Amazo is re-activated by the Key when the latter breaks into the Justice League’s satellite headquarters to try to restore his decaying body. The pair is defeated by Zatanna, and Amazo is deactivated once more.

12 years ago: Ivo re-awakens Amazo, now in storage in the Secret Sanctuary in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, and pits him against the Martian Manhunter’s informal new Justice League. He is once again defeated. 

10 years ago: Ivo builds a second Amazo, who goes against the Conglomerate, Aztek, and Resurrection Man before being destroyed and assimilated by the original Amazo.

8 years ago: Amazo is pulled out of the timestream by the Hourman from the 853rd century, and copies his time powers, briefly attempting to conquer the timestream.

5 years ago: An Amazo is recruited into Lex Luthor’s Secret Society, taking part in the Battle of Metropolis.

4 years ago:

Professor Ivo uses human DNA and Amazo programming to create a cyborg who calls himself Kid Amazo and fights the Justice League.

Ivo installs Amazo programming into a body intended for Red Tornado, sending it against the Justice League once more.

1 year ago: Amazo is rebuilt once more by Ivo, only to be taken over by the Construct and used as a general in its robot army.

Commentary:

Amazo is one of those iconic Justice League villains who has surprisingly few appearances - but in each of those appearances, he is a major, major threat. Not only is he physically imposing, he can copy the abilities of several members of the Justice League and use them against them - any one of them alone would be dangerous, but an Amazo is generally a threat that requires the entire team to take down.

Over the years, Amazo has developed from a blank slate used to do Ivo’s bidding into having a personality of his own. He’s more or less obsessed with taking his revenge on the Justice League for numerous defeats, and spends his own little free time plotting against them, although his own methods usually involve little more than brute force.

Physically, he looks kind of silly with the elf ears and green vest, but I don’t think I’d change that for the world. It’s distinctive enough to stand out from other characters, and giving him a human visage allows him to emote like a human does, which is important. The second Amazo unit, however, bore the appearance of the DCAU’s Amazo, being made out of a more advanced liquid metal in parts.

Next: Plastic Man and Scandal Savage.

[dc-earth53]

#0017 - Red Tornado (John Smith)

Age: 17 (actual age of Red Tornado persona), 73 (age of original body), 35 (assumed age of John Smith persona)

Occupation: Adventurer

Marital status: Married

Known relatives: T.O. Morrow (father/creator), Red Torpedo (brother, deceased), Red Inferno (sister, deceased), Red Volcano (brother, deceased), Tomorrow Woman (“sister”), Kathy Sutton (wife), Traya Sutton (adoptive daughter).

Group affiliation: Justice League of America, formerly Young Justice

Base of Operations: Happy Harbor, Rhode Island

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 325 lbs.

History:

1870 A.D.: The air elemental Ulthoon, also known as the Tornado Tyrant, is born on the planet Xalthor.

1947 A.D: T.O. Morrow creates the Red Tornado android as one of a set of elemental-powered androids to combat the Justice Society of America. The android is defeated by the JSA, and deactivated, held in the Justice Society’s Perisphere headquarters.

1951 A.D: The Perisphere is demolished, with the Red Tornado android being taken into government custody.

17 years ago:

Adam Strange defeats the Tornado Tyrant, inspiring it to turn over a new leaf. The newly rechristened Tornado Champion follows Strange back to Earth. Ulthoon comes across the inert body of the Red Tornado and comes to inhabit it. During the merging process, the Red Tornado short-circuits, and Ulthoon’s memory is erased.

T.O. Morrow, now in an android body of his own, senses that his creation has been re-activated, and seizes control of it, sending it against the Justice League, but Red Tornado rebels against his programming, helping the League defeat Morrow and afterwards becoming a member of the group.

16 years ago: The Red Tornado meets employment counselor Kathy Sutton in his human guise as John Smith, and the two fall in love.

15 years ago: Red Tornado is possessed by the electronic consciousness known as the Construct, but is freed with the assistance of the Justice League.

14 years ago: The Tornado and Sutton adopt the Bialyan orphan Traya as their own.

12 years ago: Red Tornado defeats the Construct in its attempt to take over the world via mass brainwashing.

11 years ago: 

Red Tornado seemingly perishes during the Anti-Monitor Crisis, having been turned into a living weapon by the Anti-Monitor and being destroyed by his fellow heroes. Attempts to reconstruct him lead to the detonation of a failsafe in his chest - an explosive that ends up destroying the Justice League’s satellite headquarters.

Red Tornado’s consciousness remains intact inside his head, and when he reboots, he becomes aware of Volthoom’s true nature as an air elemental.

10 years ago: Embracing his nature as an air elemental, Red Tornado enters into a war with Earth’s other elementals: Naiad, Firestorm, and Swamp Thing. Increasingly, he begins to distance himself from his humanity.

8 years ago: Feeling isolated from humanity, Red Tornado retreats to the Secret Sanctuary in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, where he lay dormant until awoken by the members of Young Justice. He becomes a mentor to the young heroes.

7 years ago: Red Tornado attempts to reunite with Kathy and Traya, to partial success - he gains the privilege of regular visitations with Traya. Soon after, Red Tornado, as John Smith, and Kathy resume their relationship.

5 years ago:

Red Tornado is recruited by Jade to fight in the Rann-Thanagar War. During the war, he is struck by a passing Zeta Beam and destroyed.

His remains return to Earth, ending up in Australia, and are gathered by John Stewart, who brings them to Will Magnus to reassemble.

4 years ago: The Tornado rejoins the Justice League, fighting against his siblings and Amazo in a scheme masterminded by Solomon Grundy.

3 years ago: Red Tornado is destroyed yet again, demolished by the Injustice League, and his mind is placed into the League’s computer system while Magnus and John Henry Irons build him a new body. Meanwhile, Sutton agrees to marry him.

1 year ago: Red Tornado is taken over by the Construct in its bid to activate the Earth’s weapons of mass destruction.

Present day: Red Tornado remains a member of the Justice League in good standing, and has recently helped Oracle complete an upgrade to their computer system.

Commentary:

I don’t really have much to say about Red Tornado, except that I simplified his origin greatly, cutting out most of the Tornado Tyrant/Champion stuff, all the universe-hopping he did pre-Crisis, and about half the times his body was destroyed. This Red Tornado has finally found the proper balance between his humanity and artificial nature, and doesn’t suffer from the “am I man or machine?” angst that a lot of DC’s other robot characters do.

The choice of his costume was also very easy, he only really has had one lasting look, and for simplicity’s sake, I went with Young Justice’s version of that look.

Next: Amazo and then Plastic Man!

[dc-earth53]

#0016 - The Floronic Man (Jason Woodrue)

Age at death: 52 

Occupation: botanist, criminal.

Marital status: Single.

Known relatives: none.

Group affiliation: Secret Society of Super-Villains.

Base of operations: Mobile.

Height: 6′2″

Weight: 210 lbs.

History: 

53 years ago: Jason Woodrue is born.

28 years ago: Woodrue graduates with a doctorate in biology from Ivy University.

22 years ago: Woodrue accepts a teaching position at the University of Washington, taking on Pamela Isley and Alec and Linda Holland as students. He seduces and experiments on Isley, changing her biology drastically.

19 years ago: Woodrue uses an experimental serum to modify his own biology, changing himself into a plant/human hybrid and gaining control over plants. He attempts to take over the world, but is stopped by the Atom.

12 years ago: Woodrue is hired by the American military to figure out how his former student, Alec Holland, became the creature known as the Swamp Thing. He discovers that the creature is not Holland, but is instead a mass of plant life that had copied Holland’s memories and personality. Woodrue uses Swamp Thing’s body to tap into the Green, the collective life force of all plants on Earth, and attempts to wipe out all animal and human life, but is stopped by Swamp Thing and taken into custody at Arkham Asylum.

8 years ago: Woodrue and Isley, who had taken to committing crimes and calling herself Poison Ivy, break out of Arkham together. Isley turns on him, betraying him for Batman and destroying his plant body.

5 years ago: A regrown Woodrue is recruited into Lex Luthor’s Secret Society and takes part in the assault on Metropolis.

1 year ago: Woodrue challenges Swamp Thing for the title of champion of the Green and loses. He later allies himself with Swamp Thing to fight against the armies of the Gray, dying in the battle.

Commentary:

It’s Jason Woodrue, a very interesting fellow if I’ve ever seen one. I haven’t read many stories he’s involved with, so I don’t have much to say other than that he seems to be a perpetually peripheral character, integral to Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing’s stories but never in the limelight himself. (Maybe that’s a good thing, though. The only good we got out of New Guardians was SNOWFLAME!)

Regardless, he’s here, appearing from time to time to attempt to take over the world with the power of plants! He’s currently dead, killed by the champion of the Gray, but death has hardly stopped him before. It’s only a matter of how long he’ll take to regrow and come to menace the world again... better keep that Roundup handy.

Next up: Red Tornado and then Amazo.

[dc-earth53]

#0015 - The Atom (Ray Palmer)

Age at death: 39

Occupation: Particle physicist, adventurer.

Marital status: Widowed.

Known relatives: David Palmer (father, deceased), Susan Palmer (mother, deceased), Ted Ralston (godfather), Daniel Palmer (brother), Jean Loring (ex-wife, deceased), Laethwen (wife, deceased).

Group affiliation: Justice League of America, formerly Katarthans.

Base of operations: Ivy Town, Connecticut, formerly Morlaidh, Amazon Rainforest, Brazil.

Height: 6′0″

Weight: 180 lbs.

History:

44 years ago: Ray Palmer is born to David and Susan Palmer in Ivy Town, Connecticut.

26 years ago: Palmer enrolls in the physics program at Ivy University, studying under Dr. Alpheus P. Hyatt.

24 years ago: Palmer begins dating law student Jean Loring.

22 years ago: Palmer graduates summa cum laude from Ivy University, and immediately enrolls in their graduate program.

20 years ago: 

Shortly before graduating with his Master’s degree, Palmer discovers a white dwarf star fragment that had crashed to Earth. From the fragment, he crafts a lens that allows him to control the size and mass of his own body. It is later theorized that exposure to the fragment activated his latent metagene.

Palmer uses his newfound abilities to fight crime, encountering foes such as Jason Woodrue, alias the Floronic Man, and the time-travelling Chronos.

19 years ago: Palmer receives correspondence from Hong Kong boy Ryan Choi, beginning a long-distance mentorship that would last several years. 

18 years ago: After being pitted against the team by Amos Fortune, Palmer joins the Justice League of America, becoming fast friends with Katar Hol, the Thanagarian Hawkman.

15 years ago: After almost a decade, Loring agrees to marry Palmer following an adventure where he fights the Bug-Eyed Bandit.

14 years ago: Palmer takes on Ivy University student Karen Beecher as his lab assistant. Her own metagene activates, and she develops similar powers to his, calling herself Bumblebee.

12 years ago: 

Ray discovers Jean cheating on him with her law partner, and the two divorce.

Following the infiltration of Checkmate by Brainiac, the Justice League is disbanded. With nothing left for him in America, Palmer moves to South America to study white dwarf star radiation he’d detected there, leaving his laboratory and gear to graduate student Adam Cray.

11 years ago: 

While in the Amazon, Palmer stumbles upon a tribe of miniature aliens, coming to live with them for a time and marrying the tribe’s princess, Laethwen.

Palmer emerges from the Amazon to fight in the battle against the Anti-Monitor, but returns to the jungle afterwards.

10 years ago: 

Laethwen’s village is burned down by the United States government, and Palmer returns to America to seek his revenge. He permanently reduces those responsible to six inches in height - the group will later go by the name of the Micro Squad. 

The Micro Squad attempts to assassinate Palmer. In collaboration with Amanda Waller, Palmer fakes his death, going undercover while Cray joins her Task Force X as the new Atom.

9 years ago: Palmer resurfaces, joining the Justice League International on a part-time basis and becoming amicable with Loring.

6 years ago: Palmer answers Batman’s summons to join the Justice League after the core of the team vanishes into ancient Atlantis.

5 years ago: Palmer is murdered as part of a revenge scheme targeting members of the old Justice League and their families, executed by an Eclipso-fueled Jean Loring.

Commentary:

Oh, boy, is it time to talk about Identity Crisis? I think it is, as that’s where this Atom’s story diverges greatly from canon Ray Palmer’s. (Well, excepting that the Teen Titans stuff with him never happened.) To say that this is a majorly controversial story is underselling things, I think. You either love it, or you hate it, there’s no in-between. 

In this universe, things happen a lot differently than in canon: for one, Sue Dibny is spared (because in this universe, we don’t kill off pregnant women for shock value). Instead, Ray Palmer is the first murder victim of his ex-wife’s insane plot to take revenge on the Justice League through an army of mercenaries targeting former members and their friends and families. This is all made possible thanks to intelligence provided by Dr. Light regarding secret identities, making this a true Identity Crisis.

I keep stressing the importance of legacy, and it’s majorly important here as well, as Palmer leaves behind big shoes to fill for such a small stature. Both Karen Beecher as Bumblebee and Ryan Choi as the new Atom can trace their legacies back to Palmer, and (Choi especially) hope to be able to live up to the example he set as both a hero and a scientist. But maybe not as a spouse, he didn’t have the greatest track record with that.

Palmer’s one of those characters who (except for the Iron Man knockoff suit from the Arrowverse and New 52) has only ever really had one costume, and it’s a good one, so it gets to stay.

[dc-earth53]

0014 - Hawkwoman (Kendra Saunders/Shayera Thal/Shiera Saunders)

Age: 33

Occupation: Director, adventurer.

Marital status: Single

Known relatives: Shiera Saunders Hall (great-aunt, deceased), Carter Hall (great-uncle), Cyril “Speed” Saunders (grandfather, deceased), Michael Saunders (father, deceased), Trina Saunders (mother, deceased).

Group affiliation: Justice League of America, formerly Justice Society of America.

Base of operations: Los Angeles, California, formerly St. Roch, Louisiana, New York City.

Height: 5′9″

Weight: 135 lbs.

History:

c. 1280 B.C: Princess Chay-Ara is born in Egypt.

c. 1255 B.C: Chay-Ara, along with her beloved Khufu, the wizard Nabu, and champion Teth-Adam, come across the wreckage of a Thanagarian ship, laden with the mysterious Nth metal. The two use the alien technology to bring peace to their land and build incredible wonders.

C. 1240 B.C: Khufu and Chay-Ara are murdered by the priest Hath-Set, destined to be reincarnated into new bodies.

1917 A.D: Chay-Ara is reincarnated into the body of newborn Shiera Saunders.

1940 A.D.: 

Shiera meets Carter Hall, the reincarnation of Khufu, and her memories of her past lives return. She dons a costume similar to his and becomes Hawkgirl.

Hall and Saunders first encounter Dr. Anton Hastor, the modern reincarnation of Hath-Set.

The pair become founding members of the Justice Society of America, with Hall acting as their first chairman.

1941 A.D: President Franklin Roosevelt calls on Hawkgirl and the rest of the JSA to join the war effort, fighting on the home front as members of the All-Star Squadron.

1947 A.D: Hall and Saunders first encounter Jim Craddock, the Gentleman Ghost.

1951 A.D: As part of a scheme from Per Degaton, the Justice Society is called before the House Un-American Activities Commission, and forced to either reveal their true identities, or disband. Saunders, alongside many of his comrades, chooses to disband the team.

1953 A.D: Hall and Saunders are married, and have a son, Hector. They also discover the kingdom of Feithera, and adopt one of the avian humanoid natives, Norda, as their godson.

1979 A.D: Hall and Saunders are murdered by Hastor, and reincarnate as Thanagarian police officers Katar Hol and Shayera Thal.

18 years ago: Hol and Thal come to Earth, becoming members of the Justice League of America, and fast friends with Ray Palmer, the Atom.

14 years ago: Thal severs ties with Thanagar after the planet declares war on neighboring planet Rann.

10 years ago: Thal dies and Hol is gravely injured while helping to repel the invasion of Earth by an alien alliance that included Thanagarians among their number. Chay-Ara’s spirit enters the body of Kendra Saunders, Shiera’s niece, after Kendra fails to commit suicide.

7 years ago: 

Attempting to avoid the destiny that people say is written out for her, Saunders joins the Justice Society, becoming romantically involved with Sanderson Hawkins.

The reborn Carter joins the new JSA as well, and successfully convinces Kendra to relocate with him to St. Roch, Louisiana. Kendra finishes her film degree at St. Roch University.

6 years ago: Kendra answers Batman’s summons to join the Justice League after the active membership vanishes to ancient Atlantis.  

5 years ago: 

Ray Palmer is murdered by his ex-wife, Jean Loring, under the control of Eclipso. In response, Hall nearly murders Loring in cold blood, only stopped by the intervention of Kendra.

Kendra and Carter are called upon to fight in the war between Rann and Thanagar. While Carter remains on Thanagar, Kendra returns to Earth to put some distance between the two of them.

4 years ago: Kendra moves to Los Angeles, also joining the restructured Justice League and starting a relationship with Roy Harper.

3 years ago: Carter returns to Earth, only to be swept up in the Blackest Night. He and Kendra are seemingly killed by the reanimated Black Lantern corpse of Ray Palmer, but survive thanks to the curse placed on their reincarnation.

1 year ago: Kendra reluctantly accompanies Carter when he invites her to learn the secret of their past lives together.

Present day: Kendra is offered the reins of a major motion picture, and struggles to divide her time between her job and hero work.

Commentary:

And now: Kendra “screw destiny” Saunders. I went into most of the detail on the Hawks in Carter’s post, so here I’ll be focusing on what’s unique to Kendra, her ongoing fight against the pull she feels toward Carter, which is Chay-Ara’s spirit guiding her back toward her “soulmate.”

Due to a wrench thrown into the works of Khufu and Chay-Ara’s reincarnation cycle, Kendra doesn’t have the privilege of having memories of her past lives. Being Kendra Saunders is all she’s ever known, and she doesn’t care what her fate is, she wants to live her life how she chooses, especially if that means dating other men just to spite Carter.

Kendra’s got a troubled past and a fierce independent streak as she toes the line between embracing her destiny and outright rejecting it - despite everything, she still wears a variation on Shiera’s uniform, and still finds herself by Carter’s side more often than she’d really like. Will she fall victim to fate and end up linked to him again? Only time will tell.

Next up: the Atom and Jason Woodrue!

[dc-earth53]

0013 - Hawkman (Katar Hol/Carter Hall)

Age: 43 (physical), 103 (mental).

Occupation: Museum curator, adjunct professor, adventurer.

Marital status: Widowed

Known relatives: Shiera Saunders Hall (wife, deceased), Hector Hall (son, deceased), Hippolyta Trevor Hall (daughter-in-law, deceased), Daniel Hall (grandson), Norda Cantrell (godson).

Group affiliation: Justice Society of America, formerly All-Star Squadron.

Base of operations: Stonechat Museum, St. Roch, Louisiana

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 195 lbs.

History:

c. 1280 B.C: Prince Khufu is born in Egypt.

c. 1255 B.C: Khufu, along with his beloved Chay-Ara, the wizard Nabu, and champion Teth-Adam, come across the wreckage of a Thanagarian ship, laden with the mysterious Nth metal. The two use the alien technology to bring peace to their land and build incredible wonders.

C. 1240 B.C: Khufu and Chay-Ara are murdered by the priest Hath-Set, destined to be reincarnated into new bodies.

1917 A.D: Khufu is reincarnated into the body of newborn Carter Hall.

1940 A.D:

When on a trip to Egypt as an archaeologist, Hall regains the memories of his life as Khufu, using the hawk imagery of the Egyptian deity Horus to become Hawkman.

Carter meets Shiera Saunders, the reincarnation of Chay-Ara, and she becomes Hawkgirl, fighting by his side.

Hall and Saunders first encounter Dr. Anton Hastor, the modern reincarnation of Hath-Set.

The pair become founding members of the Justice Society of America, with Hall acting as their first chairman.

1941 A.D: President Franklin Roosevelt calls on Hawkman and the rest of the JSA to join the war effort, fighting on the home front as members of the All-Star Squadron.

1947 A.D: Hall and Saunders first encounter Jim Craddock, the Gentleman Ghost.

1951 A.D: As part of a scheme from Per Degaton, the Justice Society is called before the House Un-American Activities Commission, and forced to either reveal their true identities, or disband. Hall, alongside many of his comrades, choose to disband the team.

1953 A.D: Hall and Saunders are married, and have a son, Hector. They also discover the kingdom of Feithera, and adopt one of the avian humanoid natives, Norda, as their godson.

1979 A.D: Hall and Saunders are murdered by Hastor, and reincarnate as Thanagarian police officers Katar Hol and Shayera Thal.

18 years ago: Hol and Thal come to Earth, becoming members of the Justice League of America, and fast friends with Ray Palmer, the Atom.

14 years ago: Hol severs ties with Thanagar after the planet declares war on neighboring planet Rann.

10 years ago: Thal dies and Hol is gravely injured while helping to repel the invasion of Earth by an alien alliance that included Thanagarians among their number. When Hol comes to, Carter Hall’s memories and personality have re-asserted themselves.

7 years ago: 

Hall joins the newly reformed Justice Society alongside Kendra Saunders, the latest reincarnation of Chay-Ara and Shiera’s grand-niece.

Hall becomes the curator of the Stonechat Museum in St. Roch, Louisiana.

5 years ago: 

Ray Palmer is murdered by his ex-wife, Jean Loring, under the control of Eclipso. In response, Hall nearly murders Loring in cold blood, only stopped by the intervention of Kendra.

Hall is called upon to fight in the war between Rann and Thanagar. He remains on Thanagar after the war to help mediate the newly brokered peace between the planets, serving as a member of the Thanagarian police force.

3 years ago: Carter returns to Earth, only to be swept up in the Blackest Night. He and Kendra are seemingly killed by the reanimated Black Lantern corpse of Ray Palmer, but survive as they weren’t killed by Hath-Set.

1 year ago: Carter learns of many of his past lives in a vision, and embarks on a journey to rediscover himself.

Present day: Carter continues serving as a member of the Justice Society of America, while also trying to reconcile his past lives with his present existence.

Commentary:

Oh, Hawkman. You and your partner are somehow only the second most confusing characters in all of DC continuity, thanks to Donna Troy and her rat’s nest of backstories. For the uninformed, there are essentially two major incarnations of Hawkman: the reincarnated Egyptian prince and the space cop. DC themselves had one hell of a time figuring out which Hawkman they wanted to use, merging them both into one Hawk-God figure during Zero Hour before eventually settling on Carter Hall as the primary Hawkman. (And then, of course, the Justice League cartoon had to use the Thanagarian versions of the Hawks just to complicate matters.)

Thankfully, Robert Venditti came up with a simple and elegant explanation in his Hawkman series: Khufu and Chay-ara’s spirits reincarnate through space and time. Khufu = Katar = Carter = about a hundred others, including Hawkmen of Rann and Krypton. It’s a really simple retcon that adds a lot of depth to the character’s history and opens up new avenues for storytelling, and that’s what I’m going with here.

Another interesting wrinkle in this timeline is that only the reincarnated Hath-Set can kill the Hawks, and is fated to eventually in every reincarnation. That means that during the Blackest Night, the Black Lanterns’ attempts to recruit the Hawks to their cause are all for naught. In addition, something unprecedented happens during the Invasion, when Shayera dies but Katar survives, meaning their spirits don’t move on quite as intended, resulting in Kendra Saunders being Hawkgirl with no memories of her past lives while Carter asserts control of Katar’s body.

Character-wise, Hawkman is sort of a blend between Indiana Jones and Conan the Barbarian, being an adventurer-archaeologist scouring the world for treasures, but also giving no quarter in combat and unafraid to roll some heads.  He’s very dedicated to his partner, even if she’s hesitant to embrace destiny and reciprocate his feelings, as Kendra is.

Carter Hawkman’s appearance has stabilized into the look you see above after several costume changes during the Golden Age. It’s suitably badass and Conan-esque. Katar’s costume, being a Thanagarian police uniform, had more coverage and actual armor befitting his role.

Next: Hawkwoman and then Ray Palmer.

[dc-earth53]

0012 - Oracle (Barbara Gordon)

Age: 38

Occupation: Librarian, detective, former adventurer, congresswoman.

Marital status: Single

Known relatives: James Gordon (father), Eileen Gordon (mother), Sarah Essen Gordon (stepmother, deceased), James Gordon Jr. (brother).

Group affiliation: Birds of Prey, Gotham Knights, formerly Suicide Squad, Justice League of America.

Base of operations: Gotham Clock Tower, Gotham City, New Jersey

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 126 lbs.

History:

38 years ago: Barbara Gordon is born to James Gordon and his first wife, Eileen.

22 years ago: Barbara befriends Katarina Armstrong in high school, their friendship ending about a year later when Armstrong trips her on the running track during a race.

20 years ago: The first reports of a “Bat-Man” in Gotham City start coming in, and Barbara becomes obsessed.

18 years ago: Barbara eavesdrops on a conversation between her father and Batman, and her obsession only grows. She soon enrolls in self-defense classes, getting a black belt in a short amount of time.

17 years ago: 

Barbara applies for the Gotham City Police Academy, but is rejected by her father. To spite him, she fashions a feminine version of Batman’s costume to wear to a masquerade ball held by the GCPD. The newly christened “Batgirl” stumbles upon a scheme by Killer Moth, and played a crucial part in defeating the costumed criminal.

Batgirl soon befriends Batman and Robin, having a close working relationship with the latter.

16 years ago: 

Batgirl and Supergirl meet, working together to defeat Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Gordon gets a job at the Gotham City Public Library after graduating from Gotham University with a degree in Library Science.

15 years ago: Barbara meets private investigator Jason Bard, and the two begin dating.

13 years ago: Barbara runs for Congress and is elected, leaving Gotham City and Bard behind for Washington D.C, continuing her adventures as Batgirl during her downtime.

11 years ago: Barbara loses her bid for re-election, returning to Gotham and briefly rekindling her relationship with Bard. She participates in the fight against the Anti-Monitor with the rest of Earth’s heroes.

10 years ago: 

Barbara is shot in the spine by the Joker and paralyzed from the waist down, as part of the lunatic’s campaign to prove that just a single bad day can drive anyone mad.

Though confined to a wheelchair, Barbara is still determined to fight crime in her own way. She develops an advanced computer system and aids Amanda Waller’s Task Force X under the pseudonym of “Oracle.”

8 years ago: 

Oracle founds the Birds of Prey, an all-female team of superheroes including Black Canary and Huntress operating out of Gotham Clock Tower.

Oracle is asked by Batman to join the Justice League of America.

Gordon comes into contact online with Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, and the two hit it off, forming a long-distance relationship.

7 years ago: During the aftermath of the cataclysmic earthquake that hit Gotham City, Barbara recruits Cassandra Cain as a field agent, noticing her talents in martial arts, and starts training her to be the new Batgirl.

6 years ago: 

Feeling used by Batman after his manipulation of her during a major gang war in Gotham, Oracle relocates her operations to Metropolis.

Gordon starts treatments with Dr. Pieter Cross to begin curing her paralysis, regaining a small amount of movement in her toes. She also starts using a special harness to walk for short periods of time.

5 years ago:

Oracle joins forces with the rest of Earth’s heroes to bring down Maxwell Lord and the Brother Eye satellite after Lord murders Kord.

Gordon and Armstrong, under the alias of Spy Smasher, come into conflict when Armstrong attempts to take over the Birds of Prey.

4 years ago

Cassandra Cain steps down from the role of Batgirl, passing it to Stephanie Brown, who begins training under Barbara.

2 years ago: A psychopathic James Gordon Jr. returns to Gotham, kidnapping Barbara. She stabs him through the eye, holding him off long enough for Nightwing and her father to come to her aid.

1 year ago: Jason Bard returns, revealing himself to be in league with Hush. Oracle, Batgirl, and the Red Hood team up to defeat him.

Present day: Oracle and the Birds of Prey fight against the Joker after he kidnaps Barbara’s mother, saying he’ll release her if Barbara marries him.

Commentary:

My Nightwing post wasn’t as controversial as I thought it would be, so here goes nothing... 

This is Barbara Gordon. Former Batgirl, current Oracle and Oracle for the foreseeable future. Yes, the Killing Joke still happens in this timeline, no, she doesn’t return to active duty, and yes, she’s roughly fifteen years older than in mainstream continuity. Deal with it.

This Babs takes a lot of inspiration from her pre-Crisis portrayal, which has been all but forgotten about these days. There, she was a fully grown librarian and a Congresswoman for a time (a plot that didn’t really amount to anything there, but certainly would send waves here - remember when Gabrielle Giffords was shot? That’s the impact The Killing Joke would have here, with Babs having only recently lost her bid for re-election). This also means she’s older than in canon, making a relationship with Dick Grayson impractical during her early years but in turn giving her a closer bond with Black Canary, her lesbian lover- I mean... well, just look at how Gail Simone writes them!

Aaaaanywayyyy.... Barbara, like Nightwing, is another one of those Bat-family characters who has branched out to the universe as a whole, truly becoming her own character apart from Batman’s aegis. She’s built her own network of operatives with the Birds of Prey, and serves as the chief information broker for the superhero community at large, being badass even though she can’t be in the field that often.

I also didn’t keep her entirely crippled - with some difficulty and the aid of a special harness, this Babs can traverse short distances on her own two feet, although she doesn’t usually leave the clock tower with it on - it’s a good compromise between leaving her permanently in the chair and having her disability handwaved away by super-science like in the New 52.

And don’t fret, New 52 Batgirl fans - I haven’t forgotten about Burnside or the stylish as hell Batgirl costume Babs wore there. I have plans for all that, just you wait.

Speaking of costumes... she wears comfortable civilian clothes as Oracle, appearing as that weird green translucent head when speaking digitally to those who don’t know her identity. That’s all I’ve got for her.

Next up: Hakwman and Hawkwoman!

[dc-earth53]

.#0011 - Enchantress (June Moone)

Age: 41

Occupation: Artist, magician.

Marital status: Single.

Known relatives: None.

Group affiliation: Shadowpact, Sentinels of Magic, Suicide Squad.

Base of operations: Belle Reve Penitentiary, Oblivion Bar.

Height: 5′6″

Weight: 126 lbs.

History:

19 years ago: Artist June Moone is invited to a costume party at an old castle, and stumbles upon a magical being known as Dzamor, which grants her the ability to transform into a super-powered alter ego named “The Enchantress.”

16 years ago: 

After operating part-time as a superhero for a few years, the Enchantress attempts to eliminate all evil on Earth by stealing all magic, coming into conflict with Supergirl.

Having had a taste of power, Moone’s Enchantress personality begins committing more and more heinous acts of villainy to gain more, causing Moone to keep her repressed.

12 years ago: Moone fights Zatanna and the Justice League, and is defeated by them, ending up in prison at Belle Reve.

10 years ago: 

The Enchantress joins Amanda Waller’s Task Force X, better known as the Suicide Squad, performing missions for Waller in exchange for a commuted sentence.

During a trip to the Nightshade Dimension, Moone learns the truth about her powers: Dzamor is the father of beings known as the Incubus and the Succubus, rulers of the dimension, and her Enchantress persona is actually the Succubus given human form. The Incubus tears the Succubus from Moone, leaving her powerless, and she leaves the Squad, committing herself to a mental institution.

7 years ago: The demon Etrigan and the renegade angel Asphodel release the hordes of Hell upon the Earth. In the process, the Succubus is reunited with Moone, and she breaks free from the asylum, joining the fight but ultimately being killed by Sebastian Faust. The Enchantress’s magical powers unite with Moone’s body and personality, leaving a new, more whole Moone.

5 years ago: During the Spectre’s quest to destroy all magic, Moone joins the ragtag band of heroes known as the Shadowpact, a name used by groups “doomed to lost causes,” and manages to help stop the Spectre’s rampage.

4 years ago: The Shadowpact remain a team, fighting the group known as the Pentacle inside of a magic bubble in River Rock, Wyoming. When they emerge from the bubble, a whole year has passed.

3 years ago: 

The Shadowpact, alongside the Phantom Stranger and the Shadowpacts of the past and future, team up to stop the orchestrations of Doctor Gotham and his patron, the Sun King.

Shadowpact travels to Hell to take part in the battle for control of the realm between Neron, Blaze, and Satanus. 

1 year ago: Moone and the Enchantress are forcibly separated, requiring the intervention of John Constantine and Deadman to stop the Enchantress from destroying all life on Earth and to reunite the pair.

Present day: Moone responds to a summons by Amanda Waller for aid, re-enlisting in her Suicide Squad by choice while continuing to work with the Shadowpact.

Commentary:

Enchantress is one of those characters who has gotten a really bad rap as of late due to a terrible portrayal in outside media - namely the dumpster fire that was 2016′s Suicide Squad feature film. However, June Moone is an example of a character who probably would have been much more successful if DC had introduced her thirty years later than they did, as the original idea for Enchantress was essentially a magical girl. Instead, she languished in obscurity until she, like so many others, was picked up by John Ostrander for his Suicide Squad title.

There’s nothing much to report about differences between this version of Moone and the canon one, however - she’s one of those characters who only pops up once in a blue moone (heh) if she’s not in a team book, and the team books she’s been in have never been the heavy hitters. With just a few minor alterations to her timeline, she’s good to go - I even managed to integrate New 52 Justice League Dark and Suicide Squad in there somehow.

Looking at costumes, her current outfit (the one in the header image) is one of circumstance - I had originally planned to use her Shadowpact outfit, the one with the bustier and cape, but then I found this piece by Stjepan Sejic, and when I get a chance to show off Sejic art, like hell I’m going to turn it down.

Next: Oracle, and then... oh, gods of Thanagar, Hawkman.

Got questions? Asks are always open!